This is Real

Drinks and Music

"We're back!"

Lucy slid beside Ashley who was sipping on a cup of hot chocolate. Troian quickly peered into the bags Lucy and Sasha brought back with them after choosing to go a different way from the other three. They were looking for their dresses for the Christmas ball that the cast and crew of PLL were throwing as a double celebration with the end of the filming for season six and half of season seven. The five were out on a rare occasion that their schedules had jived. Usually they all had other gigs they had to take care of.

Shay grinned when she felt arms slip around her neck from behind. Shay and Sasha had been more touchy ever since the night they spent after their fight, and there was sort of an atmosphere of mutual acknowledgement of whatever it was that was going on between them. They still hadn't talking about it, but they were both spending more time with each other.

Shay placed one of her hands on Sasha's arms. "Did you guys find your dresses?"

"Sasha took forever."

Sasha ducked her head, arms tightening around Shay. "No, I didn't."

"You mean you're not an hour late in the place we agreed to meet at?," Troian asked laughing.

"Nope. Fifty-four minutes. I checked," Sasha quipped.

They all laughed, and Shay had to refrain from leaning forward to place an affectionate kiss on Sasha's arm. It had been getting harder and harder to control her feelings and the things she wanted to do to act on those feelings. But nothing could be done unless they talked about it, and they were both actively avoiding the topic. Besides, they were both comfortable with how things were. They were just trying to ignore the smirks that the other girls seemed to throw at them when they think Shay and Sasha weren't looking.

"So dates?"

Shay looked towards Ashley, who seemed to have a mischievous look in her eyes when she voiced the question. It was so familiar to Shay that she suddenly felt uncomfortable. She wondered what Ashley was going to try to get at. It wasn't like they all had boyfriends.

"Probably stag. Lucy and I are preparing and going together." Troian motioned to the smaller girl. "We're all meeting the other guys there, anyway. And we all end up dancing together."

"That sounds sad," Ashley laughed.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Just because you have a boyfriend."

"Sasha and I are going together, too. My house is nearer, so..." Shay shrugged, jostling Sasha a bit, but Sasha just leaned her head towards hers more.

"Plus the dress Sasha picked needs two people to put on," Lucy teased.

Ashley barely contained her smirk. "You helped her change earlier, then?"

Lucy looked confused. "I just said it takes two people. I wouldn't have left her struggling in there."

But Shay finally realized what Ashley was getting at and by the way the blonde licked her lips and hid her smirk by taking a sip of her hot chocolate all while eyeing her with a teasing look, Ashley knew exactly what that would do to Shay. Shay's hand that was on Sasha's arm tightened slightly before releasing and dropping to her lap.

"I have to get going," Shay suddenly said, trying to dislodge the thought of Lucy and Sasha inside a cramped changing room out of her mind. She had limits to how long she could pretend she was only a friend, and thoughts like that was part of her limit.

"i thought we were going to have dinner together," Troian asked.

Shay gave her a pointed look and gestured to their side where paparazzi were already starting to gather. "Any later and we'd have to wait out more than four hours to get home. There's a reason we don't go out together often, remember?"